Thread storage and delivery device for textile machines

ABSTRACT

A thread storage and delivery device for conveying a thread from a spool to a working point of a textile machine. The device comprises a storage drum for receiving a thread supply and a feed disk arranged adjacent thereto. The disk is inclined to the axis of the storage drum and has arms extending radially through the openings in the drum casing for urging thread axially along the casing of the storage drum. The free ends of the arms are connected by a closed ring which surrounds the casing of the storage drum to prevent entanglement of the thread by radial feeding arms.

United States Patent Rosen 1 Feb. 15, 1972 [54] THREAD STORAGE AND DELIVERY DEVICE FOR TEXTILE MACHINES 221 Filed: Feb.20, 1970 211 Appl.No.: 13,109

[51] Int. Cl ..B65h 51/20 [58] Field of Search ..242/47.12, 47.01; 66/132 [56] References Cited UNlTED STATES PATENTS 3,225,446 12/1965 Sarfati et al ..242/47.01 X

3,411,548 11/1968 Pfarrwaller ..242/47.12 X 3,419,225 12/1968 Rosen 3,490,710 l/1970 Muhlhausler ..242/47.0l

Primary Examiner-Stanley N. Gilreath Attorney-Woodhams, Blanchard and Flynn [57] ABSTRACT A thread storage and delivery device for conveying a thread from a spool to a working point of a textile machine. The device comprises a storage drum for receiving a thread supply and a feed disk arranged adjacent thereto. The disk is inclined to the axis of the storage drum and has arms extending radially through the openings in the drum casing for urging thread axially along the casing of the storage drum. The free ends of the arms are connected by a closed ring which surrounds the easing of the storage drum to prevent entanglement of the thread by radial feeding arms.

6 Claims, 3 Drawing Figures PATENTEBFEB 15 Ian 3542.219

SHEET 1 OF 2 'Fig. 1

. INVENTOR/ MP1 /546 JMA P0367? THREAD STORAGE AND DELIVERY DEVICE FOR TEXTILE MACHINES The invention relates to a thread storage and delivery device for conveying a thread from a spool to a working point of a textile machine. Said device comprises a storage drum for receiving a thread supply and a feed disk which is arranged in a plane inclined to the axis of the storage drum and has radial arms extending through longitudinal openings in the casing of the storage drum and for effecting a feeding of the thread supply along the casing of the storage drum.

Devices of this type are used to feed the thread to the working point of the textile machine, for example a knitting machine, weaver's loom or a spooling machine, with an even and low tension. For this purpose the thread, which is tangentially fed to the storage drum, is drawn off by said storage drum overhead when the textile machine has an intermittent thread use. Devices of this type can, however, also be used for a positive thread feed, and then the thread is pulled substantially tangentially from the drum. The amount of the thread supply on the drum is as a rule maintained within predetermined limits. For this purpose in prior known devices (such as illustrated in my prior U.S. Pat. No. 3,419,225) the feed disk, which is pivotable about a rotary axis extending transversely to the axis of the storage drum, controls a switch in the supply circuit of a drive motor for the rotatable storage drum. When the thread supply increases, the feed disk is pushed back and turns off the drum drive, while when the thread supply diminishes the disk then moves in the opposite direction and the drive is thereby turned on again. The monitoring of the thread supply can, however, also be done with other means, for example by means oflight-electrical scanning.

In the case of the device discussed above, the arms of the feed disk outside of the storage drum are not connected and thus form individually projecting fingers. Thus, where there occurs a very uneven thread supply it may happen that the moving thread section swings so much that the thread is caught between the free ends ofthe arms.

The basic purpose of the invention is to further develop and improve the device discussed above so that a catching of the thread between the arms of the feed disk is impossible. T attain this purpose the invention provides that the free ends of the arms are connected by a closed ring which surrounds the casing of the storage drum.

The ring which connects the free ends of the arms prevents the thread from penetrating between the arms. It acts as a type of deflector which assumes that the moving thread is in any case guided along the underside of the arms and abuts the easing of the storage drum.

The ring is advantageously formed by a web which extends from the arm ends outwardly inclined in the direction facing away from the thread supply. This inclined position of the web-shaped ring improves its deflector function.

The manufacture of the feed disk is particularly simple if same is manufactured in one piece including both the arms and the ring.

One exemplary embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of a thread storage and delivery device of the invention;

FIG. 2 is a partially cut side-elevational view of the feed disk of the device according to FIG. 1; and

FIG. 3 is a top view of the feed disk according to FIG. 2.

A shaft 2 is supported in a support frame 1 which is fixedly connected to the textile machine to which thread is to be delivered. A substantially cylindrical storage drum 3 is rotatably positioned on said shaft, said drum being provided in its upper section with longitudinal slots 4 evenly distributed over its periphery. Inside of the storage drum a feed control disk 6 is pivotably supported about an axis which extends transversely to the shaft 2 and is rotatably supported around a bearing 8 which is coaxial to the bearings 7 of the storage drum 3. The feed disk 6 is movably adjusted by means of a power storage device, for example a spring (not illustrated), in

such a manner that it is positioned in a plane which, with reference to the normal plane, is slightly inclined to the shaft 2. This cannot be seen in the drawings since the cross section of FIG. 1 is placed through the axis 5. The feed disk 6 has radial arms 6a which extend through the longitudinal slots 4 in the casing of the storage drum 3. According to the invention, the free outer ends of the arms 6a are connected by a closed ring 9 which surrounds the casing of the storage drum.

As particularly illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 3, the feed disk is constructed as a substantially circular plate, the outer edge of which is angled upwardly and radially outwardly to form the ring 9. Inside of the upwardly angled edge there is arranged a ring of substantially trapezoidal cutouts 10. These cutouts define between each other the arms 6a. The feed disk 6 is moved with the arms 6a between the upwardly open longitudinal slots 4 of the storage drum 3.

During operation a thread F coming from a spool (not illustrated) is fed tangentially to the storage drum 3. The storage drum 3 is rotated by means of an electric motor 11 which encircles the shaft 2 and the runner of which forms the storage drum 3. A thread supply V thus accumulates on the storage drum periphery. Due to the above-mentioned inclined position of the feed disk 6, the arms 6a press by their undersides the thread supply V axially of the storage drum 3 and thus effect a movement therealong of the thread supply V. The thread is pulled overhead, or in case of a positive thread feed tangentially, from the thread supply. If the thread supply has increased to a predetermined amount, then its resistance to movement along the storage drum 3 becomes so great that the feed disk 6 moves against the power storage device and thereby opens a switch in the feed circuit of the electric motor 11. The storage drum 3 is thereby stopped. When enough thread has been pulled off so that the arms 6a can move the thread supply V, the switch is closed again to restart the storage drum 3.

As can be seen from FIG. 1, the ring 9 forms a deflector for the thread F which prevents the thread F from penetrating between the arms 6a. Thus a protective and trouble free thread supply is assured.

The invention is not limited to the illustrated exemplary embodiment. Of course, it would also be possible for the storage drum 3 to stand still with a rotating spooling arm being provided. Furthennore, the feed disk 6 does not necessarily need to operate a switch. It can also be provided to control the thread supply feed directly.

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property or priviledge is claimed are defined as follows:

1. A thread storage and delivery device for conveying a thread from a spool to a working point of a textile machine, comprising a storage drum having peripheral wall means onto which a thread is tangentially wound to form a thread supply, said peripheral wall means having longitudinally extending openings therein, a control disc arranged in a plane inclined to the longitudinal axis of said storage drum, said control disc having substantially radially extending arms extending through said longitudinal openings in said peripheral wall means with at least some of said arms being axially supported on said thread supply, the improvement wherein a closed ring surrounds said peripheral wall means and is connected to the outer ends of said arms to prevent entanglement of the thread by said arms.

2. A device according to claim 1, wherein the ring is formed by an annular web which is angularly inclined relative to said arms, said web extending both axially and radially outwardly in a direction facing away from the thread supply.

3. A device according to claim 1, wherein the arms and the ring are an intregal one-piece structure.

4. A device according to claim 3, wherein the control disc includes a circular central plate portion, said ring being secured to the outer edge of said central plate portion and being angularly inclined relative to the plane thereof, said plate portion adjacent the outer edge thereof having substantially trapezoidal cutouts which define said arms therebetween.

5. A device according to claim 1, further including means 6. A device according to claim 5, wherein said means for associated with said storage drum for causing a thread to be causing a E I e ang n ially w un on said drum intangentially wound on the outer peripheral wall of said storage cludes drlve means connected to said Storagfi drum for causing drum directly adjacent said control disc for causing formation romuon thereof of said thread supply on said drum. 5 

1. A thread storage and delivery device for conveying a thread from a spool to a working point of a textile machine, comprising a storage drum having peripheral wall means onto which a thread is tangentially wound to form a thread supply, said peripheral wall means having longitudinally extending openings therein, a control disc arranged in a plane inclined to the longitudinal axis of said storage drum, said control disc having substantially radially extending arms extending through said longitudinal openings in said peripheral wall means with at least some of said arms being axially supported on said thread supply, the improvement wherein a closed ring surrounds said peripheral wall means and is connected to the outer ends of said arms to prevent entanglement of the thread by said arms.
 2. A device according to claim 1, wherein the ring is formed by an annular web which is angularly inclined relative to said arms, said web extending both axially and radially outwardly in a direction facing away from the thread supply.
 3. A device according to claim 1, wherein the arms and the ring are an intregal one-piece structure.
 4. A device according to claim 3, wherein the control disc includes a circular central plate portion, said ring being secured to the outer edge of said central plate portion and being angularly inclined relative to the plane thereof, said plate portion adjacent the outer edge thereof having substantially trapezoidal cutouts which define said arms therebetween.
 5. A device according to claim 1, further including means associated with said storage drum for causing a thread to be tangentially wound on the outer peripheral wall of said storage drum directly adjacent said control disc for causing formation of said thread supply on said drum.
 6. A device according to claim 5, wherein said means for causing a thread to be tangentially wound on said drum includes drive means connected to said storage drum for causing rotation thereof. 